Roger Balk on the left with 2004 National Farm Toy Show FS Display

Our goal at The Toy Tractor Times is to give you a first look at top displays if you could not attend the National or a second closer look at the display if you were there. Roger Balk’s 2004 National Farm Toy Display deservers a second, third, forth and fifth look This month T.T.T. takes you down on Roger Balk’s model Farm Service.

FS is a chain of farm service stores and seed/fertilizer dealers across the mid-west. Roger decided to build an FS display in early 2000 after winning the 1999 National Farm Toy Show Show. In 1999, Roger built an intricate winter time scene of a modern grain farm. This display showed the corn harvest wrapping up as combines came into the shop for service on a snowy day. The winter scene was on the cover of the August 2000 Toy Farmer. That issue of Toy Farmer, with Rogers display greatly increased my own interest in model farming.

Roger Balk decided to go with FS because it was something different. It involved farming but took the project off the farm. He wanted to build something different that could still be easily recognized by show growers in Iowa corn belt country.

FS (www.growmark.com)is a complete farm service. Roger explained that an FS dealer is more than fertilizer it is the corner of the farming puzzle. Farmers go to FS for fertilizer, seed, chemicals, pesticide, custom spraying and application. Beyond the field and crops, FS offers specialty application equipment and fuel such as diesel and propane.

Building FS offered Roger an whole new challenge. He had to create buildings to house the office, seed ware house, fertilizer, repair shop and chemical and fuel storage. Beyond the structures on the display and entire fleet of application equipment needed to be scratch built or customized to serve the small farm to the mega operator.

Because Roger Balk’s display is so detailed and requires so many picture to bring the reader a true understanding of the work that went into the FS display there are many pictures below.

Roger Balk is a talented builder with a person. He was happy to share not only his display story with the Toy Tractor Times but all of his building ideas, tips and trade secrets. You are in for a real treat as you scroll through the FS pictures in this month Down on the Model Farm.  Look for more of the FS Display in the February 2005 Toy Tractor Times as we share Roger's building tips .  You can contact Roger Balk by e-mail rabalk@minot.com .

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Custom Equipment from Sprayers to Spreaders to Tractors

 Equipment: Roger spent 4 years putting together the FS display.  One of the biggest projects was building and customizing all the equipment required to complete display.  The Ag-Chem Ro-Gator is a common machine in a chemical service or CO-OP.  Ertl did a nice job in 2000 with the 1/64 replica of the 1254 Row Gator.  Rather than just placing the stock Ertl toy on the display, Roger customized adding an ag shield to the 90ft boom.

Customized Ag-Chem 1254 Row Gator with detailed booms

Chemical Application Equipment

Buildings: Roger used his building talents to create detailed building.  The FS complex includes an office, warehouse, fertilizer storage and mixing house, equipment repair shop, NH3 storage and fuels storage. 

FS Service Shop and Fertilizer House

Inside Fertilizer Mixing House

NH3 Liquid Storage Tanks

Inside FS Ware House

FS Sales and Ware House Offices

FS Shop

FS Fuel Depot

Scenery Details: Roger has successfully created a late fall scene with leaves on the browning lawn and a freshly shelled corn field.

Late Fall Scene

Shelled Corn Field Across the Road From the FS Service

e-mail: toyfarmer2@msn.com